Team USA are gold medal winners at another world junior tournament. Just over a week after the U-20 Men’s team captured gold in Gothenburg, Sweden, the US U-18 Women’s team matched their feat in Zug, Switzerland on Sunday.
In the 2024 tournament final, the undefeated Team USA faced off against Team Czechia. The Czechs were an unlikely finalist, winning just one of their group games, and the US had little trouble dispatching them in a 5-1 victory.
Pennsylvania-native Ava Thomas led the team with three points (1g, 2a) in the victory. Thomas finished tied for first on the team in overall tournament scoring at nine points with Josie St. Martin and Margaret Scannell.
The US struck first in the final, an opportunistic strike from Margaret Scannell with 9:37 remaining in the first period. They would add another tally from Haley Box just 1:14 later and carried that 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
Scannell scored in each of the team’s single-elimination, playoff round games and finished with five total goals in six games.
Now, there it is. Margaret Scannell puts USA on the board!🚨💥#U18WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/luO9GHU3ue
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) January 14, 2024
Czechia made things interesting late in the second period, grabbing their lone marker in the contest via a power play slap shot from captain Adela Sapovalivova. The power play came from a delay of game call on Ellie Dimatos as Team USA were burned by their lack of discipline in the period.
They racked up 27 total penalty minutes in the second frame alone. The majority came from a boarding major and game misconduct assessed to Jordyn Petrie.
Jordyn Petrie receives a 5-minute major and game misconduct for this hit on Tereza Gildainova. pic.twitter.com/HwZiNc4w8r
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 14, 2024
In the third period, Team USA took back full control and got two goals from Kassidy Carmichael and a goal and an assist from Thomas to put them up 5-1. Carmichael planted herself in the crease for both of her goals, knocking home two rebounds. Carmichael (2g) and Molly Boyle (2a) joined Thomas with multi-point performances in the win.
Team USA outshot Czechia 39-20 despite also amassing 31 penalty minutes compared to Czechias’ six. With the 5-1 win, the US ended up outscoring their opponents 32-5 in the tournament.
The emotions. The moments.🥹 @usahockey #U18WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/MghhiR2KwW
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) January 14, 2024
The team paid homage to the US U-20 Men’s junior team, reciting the famous “Do or Die” chant that the men commonly sing when they win gold.
MAKE THAT NOISE @usahockey 🇺🇸🙌🥇 #U18WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/lkXWLE4c5u
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) January 14, 2024
The win marked the United States’ ninth gold medal in the U-18 Women’s World Championship, and was the 15th gold medal game they’ve participated in over the past 16 years. Czechia claimed silver for the first time ever, after taking home bronze in 2008 and 2014. Team Canada took bronze with an 8-1 win over Finland.
Screenshot via @USAHockey/YouTube
